Ross Mirkarimi Is Hiring A Prominent Hollywood Lawyer For His Defense

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Embattled San Francisco sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is using some Hollywood muscle to help win his job back.

According to the San Francisco Examiner, Mirkarimi is adding high-profiled Los Angeles attorney Shepard Kopp to his defense team. Kopp will assist attorney David Waggoner on trying to overturn a suspension set by Mayor Ed Lee last month after Mirkarimi's recent legal troubles.

A hearing before a superior court judge will take place on April 20th. They will also appear before an Ethics Commission on official misconduct charges a few days after that.

Mayor Lee has since handed the sheriff's job on an interim basis to Vicki Hennessey. She worked her way up the sheriff's ranks for the past 35 years.

Kopp says a great injustice has been done by Mayor Lee. He continues saying the mayor abused his power to remove public officials. But city attorney Dennis Herrera does not buy their argument. He says the court should deny the appeal and move forward with the administrative process.

Mirkarimi pleaded guilty to a domestic violence charge in connection with an argument he had with his wife, Eliana Lopez, last New Year's Eve. The court has not allowed him to see Lopez for the last three months. She is currently in Venezuela with the couple's 2-year old son.

Kopp is a familiar name in the Bay Area. He's the son of former state senator and San Francisco Supervisor Quentin Kopp. He has represented many high profile celebrities in the past including Michael Jackson, Mel Gibson and Winona Ryder.